Mystery diagnosis
by Don't even ask Shh
Summary: Lukas meets Mathias as his health starts to deteriorate. Though he just dismisses the symptoms, his brother and Mathias are worried. But finding out exactly what's wrong, and getting the right diagnosis turns out to be more complicated than just so.
1. Chapter 1

He bit his lip as he was carried through the door to the emergency room.

"This really isn't necessary, Tino." He was in an obvious amount of pain, but still tried his best to hide it.

"When you refuse to come here by ambulance, you really don't have much of a choice, that knee isn't really right.." Tino might be smaller than him, but he certainly wasn't weaker. Both grimaced as he tried to sit him down in one of the plastic chairs filling up the waiting room; Tino because he was afraid to cause his friend any more pain, Lukas himself because he was in pain.

"It's really not because I'm trying to leave you in this situation," Tino was stumbling over his words,  
"but there is this family thing going on, and my mom might just kill me if I'm late." His eyes were fixed on the floor and his hands were restlessly moving around each other.  
"you know Finns," he let out a nervous laugh as he trailed off.

Lukas reached out with his left hand, the right lying weakly in his lap, though it was clear that the gesture caused him great discomfort. He patted Tino on the arm and gave him the most sincere smile he could muster at the moment.  
"Go. I'll just call my brother, it's fine, don't worry about it."

Tino seemed to weigh his words for a moment, the doubt obviously pulling down.

/

Mathias let out a sigh and a smile slowly spread across his face as he walked out into the receiving part of the ER. It was late morning, well almost midday. Seeing as he'd been in all night, he was heading home for some sweet, well-deserved sleep. At least that was according to himself, but he clearly remembered that glare one of his patients sent him, when he needed to do some blood work. He was usually very relaxed around kids, but some of them just seemed like they were cursing him to Hell, with black magic, if he went too close with the needle. Needless to say, there were probably some people out there who didn't hope he was going to sleep well at all.  
Maybe this even worked, for as soon as he scanned the chairs with waiting patients, his gaze fell upon the most stunning figure he'd seen.  
A lot of different people went through the ER every day, and Mathias had had his share of strangers to look at, but this one really took home the price.

He was so struck, he didn't realize he'd completely stopped walking, and almost tripped over an elderly lady. Not that he seemed to notice that either.

He might not get home to his bed so soon at all.

/

Tino was pulling some faces, seemingly not convinced by the other's words. Lukas let out a sigh and let his eyes wander around the room.  
It wasn't the first time he'd been in this ER. Actually it wasn't even his first time this month. Tino and him worked in the local IKEA, that meant a lot of physical work. And apparently he also had the worst luck in the world, because he kept getting injured. He would normally describe himself as a rather graceful person, but sometimes he would just, out of the blue, walk into a doorframe, drop something, or even trip over the thin air.  
Though usually when he dropped something, he had very quick reflexes and would catch it again with some ballet move, which just didn't make things any better. Especially not with a smirking younger brother clearly amused by it.

"Uhm.. Excuse me?" He blinked a couple of times as his eyes lay upon a young man, cautiously approaching the pair.  
"I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation, but I just happened to overhear it," he seemed to stumble somewhat over his words like Tino, but he didn't seem like the nervous type,  
"I mean, I'm not in a hurry, so I could watch over him till his brother gets here..?" He hesitated for a moment, clearly aware of how odd the proposal would seem to most people. The words were directed at Tino, and the guy gave him a bright smile, showing his perfect teeth and harmless nature.  
Still, Lukas was the one to answer,  
"that's very nice of you, don't you agree, Tino?" Even if he'd have wanted to argue, he'd already lost the battle. Tino hang his head down as he sighed, then smiled at both of them, sending Lukas a concerned look.  
"Just be okay. You can always catch me on my phone. Another perk of being a Finn is that your phone always works." Tino's smile was the warmest and most sincere one could imagine. He bid his farewell to his friend and the stranger, and then ran out the door.

/

Mathias sat down on the armrest of the chair next to the intriguing guy. Even if he would've wanted to, he couldn't wipe the grin from his face. It earned him a slightly confused and questioning look from the other.  
"You know, you don't have to stay. I just didn't want him to waste his time here." It was clear to Mathias that the guy didn't want him there, but he probably didn't want anyone talking to him at the moment. Pain makes people irritable, as a nurse you quickly learn that about human nature, and he just brushed it off.

"I'm really not in a hurry." He was smiling wryly at the floor, obviously more ardent from the lack of sleep. Shaking his head, he tried to stay at least somewhat professional, though the other didn't seem too fond of hospitals, so he made a mental note not to tell that he actually worked there.

As the guy stayed silent, he gave him a onceover. His hair was a bit longer than most, and looked impossible soft. It had that Nordic blond colour, which many used bleach to achieve, though judging from the roots, this was natural.  
Mathias himself had the darker and more common equivalent. His was also very thick, so he could style it in all these impossible ways.  
He was thin and tall, though not as tall as Mathias himself, but his limbs seemed to be rather long. He furrowed his brow. He really reminded him of an elf. Maybe that was why he'd stopped when he saw him, and why he now sat here, instead of going home to his soft bed. He'd always been obsessed with fairytales and mythology.

"Shouldn't you call you brother…?" He suddenly seemed to remember the conversation he'd overheard.  
The guy turned to look at him, sending him the same annoyed glare.  
"He's in school, I hardly see the point in him coming here." He looked as though he was trying to explain this obvious fact to a moron. His face seemed so perfect, but the ever present frown was like static. It messed with the clear picture.  
"Then how will you get home? I doubt you'll be able to walk on that straight away." He made a motion towards his clearly dislocated knee.  
"I can't judge if you were born under a rock, but there's such a thing as public transport." Mathias smiled a bit brighter at this. For some reason he didn't sound as rude as he probably would have wanted to. Mathias might be a bit of a moron, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was reading people. Maybe this was the fact that also made him ignore all the common social rules.

/

Lukas wasn't really sure what he should think of this random guy, who just decided to be his friend and stand-in family member. He was in the ER. Hospitals always made his skin crawl. This really wasn't the best place to start new relations.  
He had to admit, though, that he wasn't bad looking. He seemed rather charming. It really messed up his already confusing state of pain and fear and annoyance. Not that any of that would be clear to anyone else. He'd always been rather stoic and natural at keeping his emotions in check.

"Lukas Bondevik?" His name was called by a man who'd just come through one of the doors to an examine room. Lukas looked up instantly and pushed himself up from the chair, trying to stand just on his right leg. He was stubborn and determined; he could make it to the door just fine. Though his body seemed to have another agenda, because as soon as he stood, his vision went completely black and he could feel himself grow dizzy and weak. Then he fell.

/

Mathias kept his curious gaze on the other. He reacted when the next name was called, standing up. Mathias stood up as well; he really doubted that 'Lukas' would make it very far in the condition he was in. He was right to assume so, for Lukas' gaze instantly lost its focus and his body swayed a bit before Mathias stepped in and caught him in his arms. By then he was out cold.

Mathias sent the guy in his arms a concerned look. He felt even lighter than he looked. For some reason this really freaked him out. This suddenly felt a whole lot more personal than any of his normal patients. There was something about this 'Lukas'. Something intriguing he just couldn't dismiss.

/

Eirik was slumped over his desk, staring blankly at the blackboard. Their assignment had been to write an essay. Seeing as these types of essays reflect your personal view, often on philosophical matters, no one seemed too keen on reading theirs aloud. Thus the teacher had made then write yet another essay, about why they didn't want to read their essays for the rest of the class.  
The teacher had then left them, and Eirik had finished in a matter of ten minutes, leaving him incredibly bored.

He turned to look at the Asian guy who sat next to him, still furiously scribbling away on a piece of paper.  
"How come you're for once not using your computer?" Eirik lifted his eyebrow as he asked his friend,  
"Could it be that you're betting on your handwriting being so illegible that you won't have to risk reading this out as well?" Xiang met his friend's smirking eyes and chuckled, shaking his head slightly.  
"Oh! But I would /never/ do such a thing!" He said with a gasp, voice riddled with sarcasm.  
"Also, is that your phone ringing in your pocket, or are you just excited about seeing me?" The smirk never leaving his voice nor face.

Eirik put up a finger, indicating for the other to hold on a second. Pulling out his phone he furrowed his brow as he saw his brother's caller-ID. That was odd. Lukas never called when he knew Eirik was in school. He was very serious about his younger brother concentrating on his education.  
He hit the answer button and held the phone to his ear, ready with an excuse explaining why he had time to answer in class.  
"Hello? Is this Lukas' brother?"  
Eirik was silent for a second, now extremely confused as to why a stranger was calling from his brother's phone. What could have happened? They might not appear to, but the brothers cared deeply for each other, seeing as they only had one another.  
"Who the fuck are you?" Eirik's answer came so quick, Xiang gave him a quizzical look, not being able to hear the second half of the conversation.  
"I'm calling from the hospital, your brother had a slight accident. Don't worry, he's just fine." Eirik tuned out halfway through the sentence and paled, which was seriously saying something. He lingered at one word in particular. He was so not a fan of hospitals.

/

Mathias was lounging on the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, as Lukas came out of a door. He was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing the most irritated expression Mathias had seen in a long while. He couldn't help but laugh as he stood, walking across the room to meet him.  
"That's some fancy accessory you've got there," he joked, chuckling. Lukas looked rather unimpressed by his humor and turned around, taking off the cane attached to the back.  
"They can keep it, it doesn't match my eyes," he countered, standing slowly, his left hand gripping the head of the cane as he tried to keep his balance.  
"You know.." Mathias hesitated a bit,  
"I'm not a doctor, but I think they give you a wheelchair for a reason. Of course I can't be certain, but I'm assuming it's because they don't think it'd be such a great idea for you to walk just yet." There was a note of sarcasm, but it was clear the worry was genuine.  
"They also gave me a cane. I can walk." Lukas shot him a glare and be began walking towards the exit on wobbly legs. And cane.

/

"Lukas!" He was mere steps from the door as his younger brother burst through them.  
"…Eirik..?" He blinked in confusing. He was certain he hadn't informed him that he was here. There was a reason for him not to. Eirik needed to focus on school; he shouldn't have to worry about his brother.

"Oh yeah!" the stranger from before exclaimed as he stepped up to the siblings,  
"I called your brother because that seemed like the responsible thing to do," he pointed a thumb at Eirik, shrugging,  
"Also that reminds me!" He fished Lukas' phone from his pocket and held it out to him, only to correct his own action and give it to Eirik instead.  
"Seeing as you have no hands," he explained, again shrugging.

Lukas started at the guy in utter confusion. This guy just turned up out of the blue, took his phone, called his brother, and joked with him as though they'd be friends forever.  
"Excuse me, but who are you even?"

"He's Mathias." Lukas turned to look at his brother who'd spoken up, giving him a puzzled stare as well.  
"What?" Eirik asked like only a true teenager could,  
"I talked to him on the phone, remember?"

Lukas gave Mathias a cross look. Who did he think he was?  
"Well then Mathias is the guy who's supposed to mind his own damn business." At this the other simply shook his head, grinning.  
"You're mistaken. Mathias is the guy with the car who's going to drive you two home."

Lukas took a deep breath. A ride home was more than he could have asked for really, it'd be stupid to decline such an offer.  
"Fine," he would've crossed his arms if he could, instead he simply walked out the door, glaring back at Mathias,  
"but I owe you nothing."

As they were walking towards the car in a slow pace, so Lukas could keep up, he could feel Mathias studying him.  
"What?" He turned his head, quirking a brow at the other man. Mathias chuckled at this and ran a hand through his hair.  
"You know, for someone on pain-meds, you sure are grumpy." Lukas rolled his eyes.

"Have you ever heard of the TV series, 'House'?" Mathias tried his luck again.

"Shut it."


	2. Chapter 2

Lukas heard the sounds of the coffee grounder before his brain really seemed to register that he was awake. He turned his head to the side to glance at his clock. It was half past seven. …but he was supposed to get up at six… It was Friday, right? He had work. His alarm should have gone off a long time ago.  
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and before giving it a second thought, he jumped on his feet. The second weight was put on his left leg though, his brain re-booted and he suddenly remembered the whole ordeal of the previous day.

Seconds later he found himself on the floor, collapsed, still slightly confused, as it'd all just seemed like a dream. Lukas was used to weird dreams where he's get hurt and it'd all just come off as something too normal. His dreams did tend to freak him out sometimes now he thought about it.  
He was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, calm his heart as well -it was beating too fast for his liking. The pain had been rather intense as he stood, and he'd hardly even been properly awake. Safe to say, he was as awake as one could imagine right now.  
Despite the pain, despite the fact that he was already late, and he could hardly walk, he was set on getting off to work.

Trying to get dressed was more challenging than usual. Emphasis on trying.  
He sort of had to sit down through it, and yet his one arm was rather useless. When he was finally presentable, he made his way to the hall, deciding the take the stairs without aid from the cane he'd been given. It turned out to be more of a challenge than he'd expected. Not only did his leg not like weight being put on it. It also apparently disliked being bent. Stupid selfish knee.  
He stopped halfway down, sighing. Damn, he was already absolutely exhausted. It surprised him a bit. It sort of felt like he'd run ten kilometers, and not just slept for ten hours.

The sound of a spoon spinning in a mug, hitting the edges with little clinking noises, brought him back out of his mind, back onto the stairs. Eirik was downstairs. He had school soon, didn't he? Lukas started down the stairs once again, determined to get down rather quickly, no need to look weak in front of his own younger brother after all.  
Now that they lived alone, he not only had to set a good example for Eirik, he also had to prove himself to his father and the rest of the adult population which seemed to judge him.

Their father had decided to move them to Berlin as he was offered a job there. Everything also happened to be cheaper in Germany compared to Norway. Lukas and Eirik on the other hand, hadn't been too thrilled with this idea. They'd set forward some rather good points and arguments, and in the end their father had let them stay, given that they could handle everything on their own.

Thus their father had decided to pay just the rent of the flat they lived in, and so in turn, to show how responsible they were, they had to earn everything else they needed.  
It was a lot to handle, but Lukas didn't mind. As long as he could stay in his beloved home country, and his brother didn't have to move schools and try to make friends all over again, Lukas was satisfied.

/

Eirik lifted his gaze from the German book his was reading. He gave Lukas a once-over and made a grimace.  
"Good thing you aren't allowed out today," he said, his mouth twisting in a tiny smile, yet his eyes remained concerned. Of course most people would hardly notice any change in his expression, but he knew Lukas could read him. He was still only learning to read his brother himself. Lukas way different to Eirik. Others saw them just as emotionless, both of them. Truth be told, Eirik had a harder time keeping his emotions in check, though as soon as Lukas lost his grip he was just as easy to read.

The recent time had got him on edge and nervous. He'd noticed a gradual change in Lukas. He'd been so much easier to read, and what he saw scared him. His brother seemed so tired. Just mentally exhausted, and however much he wanted to, Eirik did not know what to do, nor how to help.  
Lukas had been to the ER because of 'accidents' a lot more than any normal person should ever. Eirik was betting that his medical journal was some seriously heavy shit by now.

"..What do you mean?" Lukas was still standing in the doorway to the kitchen. It looked as though Eirik had managed to confuse him quite well.  
"It's Friday, isn't it?" He made his way to the nearest chair, grabbing a mug on the way for coffee.  
"Not some odd holiday I've forgotten about, where we're not allowed to work, right?"

Eirik held up his phone with his left hand, while trying to write some final notes with his right.  
"I called Tino to inform him you're off work for a few days. He told me he'd already arranged that with Berwald, so you really have no excuse to go even if you don't want to listen to my, by the way-very wise, words."

Lukas was silent for a while, seeming to take in the words as he sipped the hot coffee. Eirik's own had already gone lukewarm seeing as his little focus had been directed at the book in front of him. He was beginning to feel the lack of energy. It was early spring, yet still cold and gloomy in the mornings. He took the pleasure of walking to school.

"Isn't this an inconvenient time to be doing your homework?" Lukas seemed to have awoken a bit behind his mug.  
"Well someone made me skip some classes yesterday, and go to the other end of town, so I don't know about you, but I think this is the perfect time to torture myself with German verbs." If the sarcasm had been missed in the way he spoke so monotonously, at least it was written all over his face.  
Lukas realised his mistake immediately and held up a hand in defence.

"Also, now you remind me -I should probably get going," Eirik looked at his watch as he swept the book and his papers off the table and ran off to find where he'd dropped his rucksack the day before. He was running a bit late already. Despite his new year's resolution about being in time for things this year, he still managed to always be a few minutes late for every little thing.  
Lukas was always on time for everything. Always prepared and all things neat and whatnot. Eirik on the other hand seemed to master chaos. He didn't think of himself as messy or forgetful, but his sort of order just differed significantly from his brother's.  
However, they both liked things clean and proper, so their flat did not look like one belonging to two young guys.

"Also," he stood in the hallway, facing the opening to the kitchen, one hand on the doorknob, a demanding gaze trained on his brother.  
"Doctor's orders, your brother's orders and even your boss's orders. Stay. Put. Don't go out, don't even think about it. Cook, watch TV, knit, whatever, be a good housewife for a few days till you're better, okay?" He'd started off as demanding, but ended on a tone of concern. Lukas was just sipping his coffee.  
"I'll be home in the afternoon. Also, if I'm late now, it's your fault. Bye." He slammed the door shut; praying to whatever gods still around that Lukas could take an order, follow common sense, and stay home.

Walking through the gray streets of Oslo, he tried to just leave the worries he had for his brother, back home. Sigur Rós was playing in his ear buds and as Brennisteinn came on, he turned up the volume. With his hands buried deep in his pockets he turned off the outside world and his thoughts.

Yet he managed to be late. Not that it really did matter all that much. Their school, along with a few others in Oslo had introduced this new 'active' way of starting the day. Basically it was just designed to wake all the slightly winter depressed teens up. Despite it being cold, they'd apparently decided that it was 'spring' enough to go run, outside.  
Eirik was told all this as he was hurried down the hallway by Xiang. He'd been slightly startled as his hand was grabbed and tugged just as he entered the school.  
"Why are you suddenly so keen on getting to class on time?" This was quite out of character for Xiang, he was usually a 'bad' influence on Eirik. At least according to Lukas. So Eirik was confused, to say the least.  
"They told me if I'm late even just one more time the next week, I'm gonna have detention on Thursday. Now you know that's not a big deal, right? It's a perfect cover to make my parents believe I'm actually taking extra classes and all that shit, like a proper Asian. But now, /this/, Thursday I'm going to this awesome concert, and I'm /so/ not risking my chances of going." He was speaking in a rushed manner, trying to fit all the words in, before they made it to the gym hall.

Changing among the other guys from his year really wasn't anything Eirik appreciated. He was quite insecure about his body to say the least. He was thin and pale, and despite most of the others being so as well, he still felt like he stood out.  
He got gradually more desperate, rummaging trough his bag. He couldn't seem to find any of his meds. Biting his bottom lip, he reassured himself he'd manage running without his inhaler. He'd done so before, after all.

/

It took Lukas two mugs of coffee before he gave walking another shot.  
Not that he did have anything to walk for; Eirik had made that very clear. And as to not worry his brother further, Lukas for once decided to lay low today. He needed the rest either way, he wasn't really sure if he would've even managed to bike to work.  
The way there was uphill, and he always felt nauseous in the mornings. Eirik used to joke about it being 'morning sickness', indicating that it was the side effects of acting too much like a mum.

He wasn't sure how well Eirik remembered their mother. After the divorce they hadn't seen her a lot, and as far as Lukas was informed, she had a whole new family by now.  
What was important for Lukas was that his brother had someone who cared about him, to look after him and keep him safe. And if Lukas had to both be his brother and his parents, then so be it.

He'd settled down on the couch in the dark end of the living area, which was really just a part of the kitchen. A book lying open in his lap, but it seemed as though 'Eva Luna' had been forgotten, and he was simply staring at the air filling the room.  
These sort of books were his guilty pleasures, so to say. In contradiction to seeming so dull and empty, his mind was filled with beautiful colours, feelings, and words describing the indescribable.

As a kid he'd used this imagination to spin the most wicket and impossible tales to tell his brother, who'd in turn just stared at him in amazement, lost in the little world of fantasy these two had created. He wasn't certain how much of it had stuck with Eirik, he never would ask, and he never told any stories anymore. Now he'd just get lost in a completely internal world he'd create while reading. He'd be so lost he didn't even register that he was reading words anymore, but would just see the plot play out in front of his eyes like the most beautiful movie.  
But all of this was hidden and he never shared these experiences with anyone, anymore. Perhaps he was lonely, but even if he happened to be, it really didn't bother him too much. He hadn't expected much from life, and this was enough as it was.

Needless to say, he was startled out of his daydreaming as the doorbell rang. Giving the clock on the wall a glance, he concluded it probably wasn't anyone looking to sell him lottery tickets or a religion, seeing as they'd usually drag a kid along to prove some sorta point, but judging from the time, the kids were probably at school now.

Cautiously he stood and walked, or well, limped, to the hallway. The book he dropped off on the way.  
As he opened the front door, his immediate reaction was to close it right back up again. The grinning face he was met with, was not even the last person he'd expected to see, it wasn't even anyone he'd have considered it being.  
His manners overcame his initial reaction, and he leaned himself on the doorframe instead of closing the door.

"For what do I owe the pleasure?" He tried to make it sound less sarcastic than the words tasted in his mouth. He took a deep breath; this certainly wasn't what he'd signed up for.  
"Well, I have the day off, so I thought I'd stop by to see if you were already on your feet. Also," Mathias smiled sheepishly, pointing to a bag slung over his shoulder.  
"I'm afraid your brother forgot this in my car, so I figured I should drop off as soon as possible." His smile grew a bit. It was awfully obvious that he would have taken any chance to just randomly stop by. Apparently he didn't care that it was written all over his face for Lukas to read.

"..That's rather thoughtful, I suppose.. What do you even work with? We never learned anything about you." Mathias did a little bow, but before he could utter another word, they were cut off by the phone.

Lukas held up a hand to excuse himself as he grabbed the phone off the table. It was Eirik's caller-ID, which was odd seeing as he never called home from school, unless something was really wrong. Lukas' stomach dropped when it wasn't his brother's voice at the other end of the line.

"Hello, Lukas? This is Eirik's friend Xiang speaking." There was a short pause, but Lukas couldn't get any words out, Xiang continued, voice rushed.  
"We were running and he pushed himself too hard-" Some rustling of fabric was heard at the other end along with Eirik's hoarse voice.  
"I didn't push myself! Xiang, gimme back the damn phone. I'm fine-" His words were eaten up by coughing and wheezing. Then Xiang was back on the line.  
"We can't seem to find any medication, do you think you can come over with some, or should we take him to the hospital?" Lukas snapped out of his confused state as soon as he heard his brother's voice.  
"Bring him somewhere warm and make sure his airways are free. Text me with your exact location, I'll be right over."

Mathias looked at him quizzically and alarmed as he hung up.  
"Did you come here by car?" Lukas asked with urgency while eyeing Eirik's bag, the one Mathias had brought, which he knew contained all his brother's medications.  
"Well yes, do you need a lift somewhere? What's going on?" The smile had been wiped off his face instantly as he saw the colour drain from the other's face.

Lukas grabbed his cane, nodding his head towards the car while locking the door behind him.  
"I'll explain on the way." He was limping, but didn't feel a thing. All his own pain was suddenly forgotten.

/

He'd been given directions to a school, and was trying to make it there as fast as he could. It's was quite obvious to him that the guy in the passenger seat was on edge. He had some feeling telling him that he'd been witness to a lot more emotion, the mere two times he'd seen him, than he ever normally let show.

"My brother is having an asthma attack. His medication is in the bag you brought." He seemed to be calming down, though his voice still sounded slightly off. His brother probably had a hard time breathing right now, and it was all because Mathias had his bag. Even as a nurse he felt like he fucked things up more often than he actually helped people. At least it gave him a reason to be the best at his job, which he appreciated.  
Mathias observed the beautiful, yet somehow tragic, boy out of the corner of his eye as they neared their destination.

"You're the most unlucky people I've met in quite a while"

/

Eirik knew he was being moved. He could feel Xiang's arm around his shoulders, hear his comforting murmur, but that was also the only things his senses could register. He was wheezing, yet with each cough his airways seemed to grow tighter. At this point he was hyperventilating and he could feel his consciousness slowly slipping. He wasn't getting any oxygen. He could no longer feel his extremities, couldn't see, couldn't hear, everything was tingling and he knew he was falling.


	3. Chapter 3

Lukas burst through the doors and Mathias was right after him. He seemed to know where they were going, and he certainly didn't spare a second. Mathias knew that lacking oxygen, and potentially fainting were some serious risk factors when someone had a severe asthma attack, and he was ready with his phone in his hand, if he'd need to call for an ambulance. Of course he could also just drive the boy to the hospital himself, but the paramedics would have oxygen.  
He was impressed by how Lukas managed to move. He'd dislocated his knee just the day before, after all. He would have to be very sore today, and there was always the risk of it slipping out again.

Mathias made a mental note of keeping his eyes on the other, just in case. The worried brother didn't seem to pay any attention to the warning signs from his own body. He was solely mindful of his brother.  
Mathias had insisted on carrying the bag, so when they found the right classroom, where Eirik was indeed collapsed up against a wall, the nurse spared no time rummaging through the thing to pull out the acute asthma inhaler. Fortunately, the boy was still conscious, if just barely.

Before Lukas could push himself too far, Mathias sent him and apologetical smile, and kneeled next to the boy.

"Eirik, this is Mathias, the guy you spoke to on the phone yesterday, I have your inhaler." He twisted the thing in his hands so it made a 'click' sound, indicating that a dose of it had been released.  
"Exhale as much as you can now, and then suck in as if your life depends on it." He placed the inhaler just in front of the boy's lips, then added, "which it does, because if you don't get enough in, I'll personally take you to the hospital so you can get hooked up to a fun machine." It was partly a joke, but Mathias was serious, and he had intended for it to sound scary. He'd learned that in his profession. Sometimes it's more effective to scare the patients into doing as they should, because let's face it, they always think they know best, which they usually don't.

/

He'd intended on being the one on the floor next to his brother, but when Mathias had sent him that look, for some reason he just stayed back and let the other run the show. He'd been ready to step in as well, but he was surprised to see how professional Mathias was. That he actually knew what he was doing.  
With his bad knee outstretched, he clumsily sat down next to his younger brother and took his hand. He squeezed it, mumbling reassuring words to indicate that he was here, everything was under control, and it was all gonna be alright. Partly to convince himself, because Eirik was all he really had left, and he was so terrified of any harm coming to him.  
His brother managed to suck in the powder and Lukas had his fingers crossed in his mind. Hoping is was going to be enough. If they had to go to the hospital, Eirik might get an anxiety attack on top of everything, and at this point, that could be dangerous.

Mathias placed his one hand on Eirik's stomach and the other he used to help him hold his head up, keeping his airways free.  
"You're doing great," his voice was stern yet oddly encouraging, "now breathe aaaall the way down into your stomach so you can feel my hand. Deeeep steady breathes. You're going to be just fine, keep taking deeep breathes."  
Lukas was taken aback by Mathias's professionalism to say the least. Either he had great improvisation skills, or he'd definitely tried this before.

/

…Everything was spinning. He could feel the whole room moving, yet he could hardly feel his own body. He could sense a tingling sensation in his fingers. It was burning and very annoying. But the worst thing was the nausea. And he couldn't think.

He knew his brother was here, and he could hear that other guy's voice. But he was so confused. He didn't know what to do, but he could feel the hand on his stomach, he was told to breathe, and so he did.

Dear gods it was hard. When your brain lacks oxygen, it sorta just goes on standby. And so he used what little capacity he had left on just breathing right. There was something calming in it all. Things were spinning slower, there was some control, yet everything felt wrong and sick and he was just so nauseous, but he kept going, and his senses slowly came back.

/

They'd waited till they were sure he wasn't go to relapse if they moved him. Waited till he was well enough to start arguing with his friend and his brother.

Mathias couldn't help but feel like he was an uninvited guest. Like he was stalking their personal life from the sidelines. The brothers were close. Any idiot could see that, however much they both seemed to deny the obvious.  
But he stayed with them. He was not leaving now. He had this instinct to take care of them, look after them, and he also just wanted to get to know them better. They were odd. They just didn't seem like people who fit in. They were those people you saw on the street and wished you knew, and now /somehow/ Mathias had managed to get himself involved. Maybe just because they'd let their guard down.

Eirik slammed the door of Mathias' car shut and trudged towards their front door without another word. He wasn't too steady on his feet yet, but he'd insisted he could walk without help.  
Lukas sighed loudly in the passenger seat, "You're a lifesaver," he turned his head to look Mathias in the eyes and offered him a small, pained smile. But a smile non the less. Mathias grin spread.  
"I know, right?" He was just about to open his mouth again, but Lukas beat him at it, "thank you". Then he moved to open the door and proceeded to manoeuvre his leg out.

"Oh no you don't!" Mathias still had that grin on his face when he jumped out his own door and ran around the front to offer a hand to the other. Lukas just looked up at him, unimpressed, "I can walk".  
"I can carry you".  
And he did.

/

"Mathias, what are you doing in the fridge?" Eirik had gotten his homework out again on the kitchen table. He was eyeing the man who had basically managed to put his entire head in their fridge.  
Lukas was lying on the sofa with some book. He'd quickly given up on making Mathias leave, since he was too tired to bother, and now Eirik was left watching over the strange man exploring their kitchen.  
"What does it look like? I'm going to make some lunch. Neither of you two seem very enthusiastic, and it certainly wouldn't hurt you to eat some more-" he was interrupted by a snort from Lukas "just remember to leave the kitchen in the state you found it in".

"Of course, of course. Wouldn't want to upset your perfectionism" Mathias was hiding a smile behind the door of the fridge and Eirik imagined that Lukas was rolling his eyes. Wow. What an abstract kind of tension.

While Eirik had thought it was a bit early to start thinking about lunch, it turned out to take Mathias more than an hour to actually finish something. By that time, Lukas was already at his second book. Though the younger brother was quite sure he wasn't actually paying attention to what he was reading. You could almost feel the buzz of all his thoughts in the room.

/

He was poking the root vegetables on his plate like a picky child. "Is my cooking /that/ bad?" Even though he was being playful, Mathias almost seemed hurt, "I figured you liked these things since you'd actually used money on it. It's even organic. Either you don't have any money problems, or you're fanatics."  
"Lukas is the fanatic," Eirik joined in, "he refuses to buy anything but."

It wasn't true though. He didn't doubt that whatever this weird mix was that Mathias had cooked, actually tasted well. It was just a struggle to swallow. And when he did, he could feel the stomach acid in his throat, burning, threatening to come up.  
He'd even managed to get it down the wrong pipe once. If you think accidentally getting water or food stuck in your airways sucks, try stomach acid.  
It's beyond metal.  
And it'll also throw you into a coughing fit on the scale of a CF'er. [1]

He stood up suddenly. He heard his chair hit the floor behind him, it felt so far away.  
"…Lukas?" His brother sounded worried. He was sure Mathias looked worried as well, but he couldn't even make out the face of the man. The nausea was getting too much to handle and he felt so _wrong._ He was sure he looked completely out of it. He was afraid he was going to throw up.  
His heart was absolutely racing. Pushing through his ribs. He lost his balance and was out cold before he hit the floor, hard. dead weight.

"Lukas!"

/

'His heart rate is incredibly fast…' Mathias' mind was racing across all the knowledge he could pull from his professional life. He knew Lukas' collapse had been due to his change of posture. From sitting to standing so quickly. He remembered it happening that first time they met as well, in the ER. Though he'd just dismissed it as being caused by the amount of pain he must had been in at the time.  
Yet it was hard for him to determine if the increase in his heart rate now was caused by standing as well, or just some sort of anxiety kick.

He'd picked up the unconscious boy after taking his pulse. Frowning as he could feel his spine and shoulder blades cut into the arm around his back, the other he had placed under his knees. Like that he carried him up the stairs to his room, Eirik showing the way.

It wasn't too uncommon to see symptoms like dizziness, fatigue and increased heart rate in very underweight young people. 'Though more common in females..' he mentally added, placing Lukas on top of his bedcovers, head on a pillow. He could feel Eirik's worried stare pierce his back.  
He had assumed Lukas wouldn't be out for long, but as exhausted as he'd probably been, it wouldn't surprise him if he slept for a while now.

/

Eirik was leaning against the doorframe. Somehow afraid that if he entered, however absurd he knew it was to think so, something might happen. He'd always been the superstitious type. In some way that trait had always been fuelled by the stories told to him by Lukas as a kid. For worse or better. He had yet to decide.

"It's nothing to worry about, kiddo." Mathias didn't turn to look at him and Eirik dropped his gaze to the carpet covering the floor. They knew it was hopeless to keep it on with Eirik's asthma and Lukas' allergies. But nostalgia had a grip on them, and carpets felt soothing when everything else was quiet.  
Their logic had been that since they were so good at cleaning, it was alright.

He could feel the quite concern. It was so thick in the air, he didn't dare to breathe.

/

He'd let his gaze roam over the body in front of him. Lukas seemed so oddly at peace when he slept. No worry carved into his fine features. No pain he tried to keep hidden from everyone else.  
Maybe Lukas had let his guard down around Mathias, like so many others. Apparently he gave off a vibe of obliviousness. He'd been told many times. Thus he saw so many emotions in people, they thought no one would ever read.

…His face was really that of an elf.  
He could hardly break his gaze now there were no defiant eyes challenging him. His features seemed so soft, even though they stood in high contrast to each other. His gaze alone could bring a grown man to his knees, and yet… sleeping he seemed so vulnerable.

He let his eyes travel over Lukas' collar bones. They nearly cut through the pale skin. One bony shoulder was showing as his shirt had slipped off a bit, and Mathias thought his body seemed so painful.

/

Eirik had promised himself he'd get some homework done. He had enough to choose from, after all. Though in the end, he'd found himself staring out into the air, listening to the silence from upstairs. He wondered what Mathias was thinking. He'd just somehow crashed into their life and made himself a part of it, like it was all just natural. To be honest, they didn't even know anything about him.

Steps on the stairs alerted him and he quickly closed his textbook, taking a deep breath. Mathias was standing in the doorway, looking at him with a strained smile.

"He just needs to rest, there's no need for me to be here, really." Mathias' smile didn't leave his lips as he collected the few things he'd left in the kitchen. "I need to get to work. After all, I have people who're counting on me, can't just go and blow them off, you know?"  
His eyes joined his lips, and the smile no longer seemed strained. He blinked, leaving Eirik rather speechless. What sort of person was this man even. Why did he care so much. Did people this genuinely nice really exist? Lukas had always told him they were myths, sagas, just the like stories in the books.

But Mathias did exist.

/

He hated to leave Lukas. He really did. But the truth was, there was nothing more he could do at this point. There didn't seem to be anything really wrong with the guy, so he probably just needed some rest.  
Mathias had his work as well, after all. He had to take over for a colleague who'd had a rather long shift. "I should probably get going.."He gave Lukas a last glance and a quick smile, shaking his head. "I'm worrying too much about something so insignificant. Where is my professionalism going."

He chuckled to himself as he descended the stairs. He should really work on not getting so caught up in the moment.

Eirik's eyes found him immediately as he glanced into the kitchen. The worry was so alive in them. Mathias figured he had no right to stay any longer. He was barging into their lives without them even having a say in the matter.

The boy had gotten up and stood leaned against the table. He stared so intensely at the floor, as if he was trying to find the right words to express something bothering him.  
When Mathias had finished tying his boots, and put a hand on the doorknob, Eirik finally spoke up.  
"What do you even work with?"

The question was bigger than just those words. It was charged. Mathias understood he was asking for some sort of information. After all, neither part knew much about the other. Their lives had just happened to crash. But Mathias didn't quite feel like letting go of them already.  
He scribbled on a piece of paper, and held the slip out for Eirik to take. "If something happens, just call me."A humble smile graced his lips as he left through the door.

Honestly. He'd be honoured if they'd let him into that fairytale life of theirs. Mathias genuinely felt he could learn something from them. These were people worth getting to know. It made him feel more whole. Like he could feel his feet more firmly on the ground.

/

Eirik just started after him for a bit.  
He never did answer his question.

* * *

1 A person with Cystic fibrosis


End file.
